Mrs Snape

Chapter 7

"If that is what you want. I don't have any problem. I can understand where you are coming from. We can go shopping whenever you want." He said to her and she hugged him. 

"Thank you so much." She said and he wrapped his arms around her making her snap out of her happiness and blush. She pulled away immediately and looked away from him. 

"I'll hire some elves and make them start on cleaning the manor as soon as possible." He didn't say anything about the hug not wanting to make awkward.

"You hire them? From where?" She asked looking at him.

"Knockturn Alley." He told her. 

"Oh, It was so gloomy when I accidentally went there once. Hagrid saved me from there." She told him. 

"If you show your fear, they will take advantage of it. If you look scared or out of place, they will come to you. But, if you just go there as if you go there daily, no one would even notice that you are the girl-who-lived." He told her and she nodded her head. 

"But, Hermione always says that elves are-" 

"Mrs Weasley-Granger knows nothing about elves. They are bonded to us and would die if their bond is broken or if they stay too long without any bond." Severus informed her. 

"But, Dobby?" She asked confused. 

"Dobby, He was always weird. He punishes himself and won't stop even if Lucius tries to stop him. They just left him on his own and let him do whatever he wants. He is now bonded to Hogwarts though." Severus said to her. "Even though Hogwarts is not a human, it is an old castle and the founders stored their magic in it's walls while it was built." 

"So, Dobby is alive only because he is getting his magic from Hogwarts. Then why is Winky looking sad and depressed?" She asked him looking confused.

"Winky was attached to her previous master unlike Dobby. She did everything with her whole heart when she worked for the Crouchs. She worked for them from when Barty Sr. was a child. Elves emotions are higher than witches and wizards, so when her so long master freed her, her sadness got the best of her and made her like that." He said to her.

"So, elves are not slaves." She said to herself. "I wanted to read about them but Hermione didn't let me. She said to ask her if I wanted to know something as she knows everything." 

"Well, she should know that she doesn't know everything." Severus rolled his eyes. "Let's go." 

"Where?" She asked coming out and squinted her eyes lightly as she adjusted to the sun. It was flod inside the house but outside was so hot. Why was it so hot outside? She hated summers for this reason. It's always so hot and she used to work in the garden of privet drive in this sun for hours and that too in the afternoon. She was feeling happy that she doesn't have to go to those muggles again. How satisfying is that thought?

"Do you want to go somewhere?" He asked her. 

"No, I'm fine going back  to Malfoy Manor." She said to him. 

"We can go out for lunch." He said and she looked at him surprised. "Let me take you somewhere." He extended his hand for her to take and she placed hers in his. He pulled her close and wrapped his other arm around her before apparating.

"Where are we?" She asked as soon as the sick feeling went away. Is she going to get used to the stupid feeling ever? She thought to herself. 

"We are in the upturn side of the Knockturn Alley. It is a bit inside and most of the purebloods come here for lunch or dinner. This is not as dark as the one you visited before." He said to her and she looked around. It is really not as dark as when she visited. Also, the people visiting were all looking rich and pureblood.